Taylor, Warren teachers take day off to protest in Lansing

TAYLOR -- There will be no classesl tomorrow in both the Warren and Taylor school districts.

In Warren, officials announced Monday that classes were canceled at Warren Consolidated Schools due to teachers taking the day off to travel to Lansing to protest the state's impending right-to-work legislation.

The Taylor Federation of Teachers plans a protest at the state capital against right-to-work legislation that was forced through the House of Representatives and Senate on Thursday.

As of Monday evening, no Oakland County districts planned to cancel school because of the protest.

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Tuesday is the earliest the bills can be reconciled between the two bodies.

The legislation is viewed by opponents as an attack on unions, giving employees a choice as to whether or not to join unions or to pay dues.

Federation President Linda Moore said that makes it an attack on "our students' future."

"A number of teachers have chosen to use a personal day, which is their right," she said. "There is no school tomorrow.

"Many of our members voted for Gov. (Rick) Snyder. It is disappointing he's taken on this divisive issue."

Moore said that whether people are for it or against it, they should be angry about how the right-to-work legislation was rammed through in less than 24 hours, with the Democratic caucus being silenced.

"We teach the students how bills become laws," Moore said. "We are protecting the students, and everyone should be aware of how this bill was done."

Local 26M of the Service Employees International Union also is sending representatives to Lansing to protest, President Kathie Fields said. But the majority of the union employees will be at school.

"The majority of our bargaining unit has been sent to work," Fields said. "There will be 26M officers; we are in the student business."

Moore said the response has been positive and she has not heard complaints about an unplanned day off from school.

"Taylor is a working-class community," she said. "We have received a lot of calls from parents in support to go."

Contact Staff Writer David Komer at 1-734-246-0866 or dkomer@heritage.com. Follow him on Facebook and @DavidKomer_NH on Twitter.